Healthcare professionals have estimated that 4 out of every 5 adults will experience back pain at some point in their life. It therefore is vitally important that you are aware of a few of the potential treatment options that are easily available if indeed you or someone you know does fall victim to it. This article will be dealing with how to calm the symptoms (rather than the causes) of back pain.

(N.B.: If your back pain has persisted for a period of more than a few weeks, you must book an appointment with your GP / physician. In this case, the pain may not subside as time goes on and as such a professional must be consulted to discuss treatment of the cause of the pain.)

These treatment options are not specific; they can be used to relieve pain in any area of the back. As such, many will also be able to ease discomfiture in other areas of the body as well (pain in the legs, arms and shoulders is often treated in the same way as that which occurs in the back). Furthermore, while the treatments described in this article are mostly harmless, you must still read the disclaimer at the bottom of this article before attempting any of the methods described.

‘NSAID' stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug. To contextualise, aspirin and ibuprofen are both NSAIDs. These drugs have ‘analgesic' (pain relieving) properties. They also reduce inflammation, which in turn will decrease the amount of discomfiture felt by a back pain sufferer. Many pharmaceutical companies (such as Nurofen) produce NSAIDs that specifically target the back, which are generally found to be more effective. NSAIDs are one of the cheapest treatment options available for back pain and as such are very popular. Unfortunately, NSAIDs do have somewhat of a reputation for causing adverse side effects. As such, always consult your doctor before starting on them and do not continue to take NSAIDs for a period of more than 10 days.

The efficacy of the treatment of back pain with heat has been documented by numerous medical journals over the years. Heat relaxes the muscle surrounding the affected area, reducing irritation and therefore also relieving pain (this is why many individuals often complain of the cold weather increasing their aches and pains). Heat treatment comes in many shapes and forms, some more expensive and / or effective than others. The cheapest form is by ‘spray', which acts chemically to generate heat energy and thereby relieve pain. For long term treatment, consider investing in an electric heat ‘pad'. Pads are sold at a variety of prices (generally the quality of treatment is directly linked to the amount of money you're spending), and are - obviously - re-usable. I've listed several heat pads sold by ‘Amazon' below. You can also get one-time use heat pads (they look a bit like plasters and generate heat chemically), but they cost about £2.50 ($5) per pad (8 hours relief).

Other treatment options

Most of the methods described above can be applied to the sufferer by the sufferer themselves. If, however, a more aggressive treatment option is required then a friend, relative or healthcare professional may have to be called in to help. Massage is actually a very effective form of relaxing the muscles, and many forget that it does not have to be delivered by a professional masseuse! Other options include acupuncture, which has now been proven by a number of studies to be beneficial in the treatment of back pain. One such study is summarised here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5345774.stm.

These were just a few of the options you have readily available to you for quick and easy treatment of back pain. Please remember to read the disclaimer below before further exploring any of these treatment options. Other than that, I hope you've enjoyed reading this article and that you have a back pain-free existence for the rest of your days!

Disclaimer: The author cannot be held responsible for any adverse effects that may occur from making use of the information in this article. I am not a healthcare professional, just a fellow back-pain sufferer. Always consult your doctor if you are undertaking a new treatment option that has the potential to cause you harm and remember to be vigilant when it comes to your healthcare.

(P.S.: Sorry about that rather harsh disclaimer. Once you've read a certain number of legal horror stories, you too would fear the repercussions of your writing!)

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